McLean Deluxe
September 28, 2007 at 3:51 pm
For those who hold continuing fascination with the role that McLean, Virginia plays as the epicenter of our nation, I point you to today’s “Washington Journal” on C-SPAN.
First, Brian Lamb reads this from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution article on Newt Gingrich:
The former U.S. House speaker and Georgia congressman from Marietta said if he joins the race, he would announce his bid from Chattahoochee River Park in Cobb County and would base his campaign here —- but he wouldn’t change his current McLean, Va., residency.
Then Brian immediately takes this call from … McLean, Virginia:
My comment is probably going to cause a ruckus, but, you know, when I go to the store in Mclean, I shop. the food prices don’t affect me at all, but I see a lot of these people with these cards, state cards, and I guess they’re struggling. And the thing is, they sit here and buy all these high-dollar foods, and it’s going on taxpayers’ money, so the demand on all those foods is higher and higher and higher and higher. And these high-dollar foods cost lots of money to transport and prepare and everything. And, you know, I’m not saying people need to not buy them as much, but if you want to eat these prime ribs, then you’ve got to be a little bit more responsible for your own living instead of relying on the state government to pay for your extravagant lifestyle.
I’m not sure I can relate to what the caller is saying. As I’ve pointed out before, I live in McLean, but in the poor, working-class, Sephardic section of town.
richarda said,
September 28, 2007 @ 8:03 pm
I’ve seen lots of people shopping with those State cards, too. Here in MD they (bizarrely) call them the “Independence” card - allowing State clients holding them to be “independent” from working, or reality, or whatever.
I live in supposedly rich Talbot County - where Cheney and Rumsfeld have places down on the water.
Of course, I live on the eastern, landlocked, Levittown development side of Rt. 50 - where the Wal-Mart is.
doug said,
September 30, 2007 @ 4:16 pm
I’m from Maryland and share similar experiences with the caller from McLean. Whenever I’m behind someone using a gov’t card to purchase food they are inevitably buying higher ticket items than I am. Without exception.
It doesn’t bother me that they are buying prime rib while I’m buying ground beef…they get a certain amount of money and when they spend it, they’ve spent it. Once they’re “out of money” on the card that’s their problem, not mine (directly).
I’m just guessing that it doesn’t help them down the road, however, once they’re off gov’t aid and can’t afford regular steak dinners and the most expensive fresh-squeezed orange juice all the time.
John Henry said,
September 30, 2007 @ 8:29 pm
Where are you in McLean? In the 60s I lived in the cul de sac down at the end of Brawner st in Salona Village.
I graduated from Marshall in 66 when the only thing in Tysons Corner was a 7-11.
I left McLean shortly thereafter but my folks lived there till about 1975 when my dad retired. My mom worked in the library at McLean High for a number of years.
It is (was?) a very nice town.
John Henry